12 Visitors.U.K.
(1)The Education Committee may appoint persons to visit any place at which or institution by which or under whose direction—
(a)any relevant course of study is, or is proposed to be, given;
(b)any examination is, or is proposed to be, held in connection with any such course;
(c)any test of competence is, or is proposed to be, conducted in connection with any such course or for any other purpose connected with this Act.
(2)In subsection (1) “relevant course of study” means any course of study which forms, or is intended to form, part of—
(a)the complete course of study required in order to obtain a recognised qualification or a qualification for which recognition is being sought; or
(b)any training which a registered osteopath may be required to undergo after registration.
(3)No person appointed as a visitor may exercise his functions under this section in relation to—
(a)any place at which he regularly gives instruction in any subject; or
(b)any institution with which he has a significant connection.
(4)A person shall not be prevented from being appointed as a visitor merely because he is a member of—
(a)the General Council; or
(b)any of its committees.
(5)Where a visitor visits any place or institution, in the exercise of his functions under this section, he shall report to the Education Committee—
(a)on the nature and quality of the instruction given, or to be given, and the facilities provided or to be provided, at that place or by that institution; and
(b)on such other matters (if any) as he was required to report on by the Committee.
(6)Requirements of the kind mentioned in subsection (5)(b) may be imposed by the Education Committee—
(a)generally in relation to all visits;
(b)generally in relation to all visits made to a specified kind of place or institution; or
(c)specifically in relation to a particular visit.
(7)Where a visitor reports to the Education Committee under subsection (5), the Committee shall on receipt of the report—
(a)send a copy of it to the institution concerned; and
(b)notify that institution of the period within which it may make observations on, or raise objections to, the report.
(8)The period specified by the Committee in a notice given under subsection (7)(b) shall not be less than one month beginning with the date on which a copy of the report is sent to the institution under subsection (7)(a).
(9)The Education Committee shall not take any steps in the light of any report made under subsection (5) before the end of the specified period.
(10)The General Council may—
(a)pay fees, allowances and expenses to persons appointed as visitors; or
(b)treat any such person, for the purposes of paragraph 15(2)(c) to (e) of the Schedule, as a member of its staff.
(11)In the case of a visitor who is also such a member as is mentioned in subsection (4), any payment made to him in his capacity as a visitor shall be in addition to any to which he is entitled as such a member.